Typhoon Matmo strengthens, prompting China to  evacuate 347,000 people ahead of landfall

BANGKOK, Oct 5: Typhoon Matmo strengthened ahead of making landfall Sunday in China, prompting the government to evacuate some 347,000 people from the southern provinces of Guangdong and Hainan. The typhoon had maximum sustained wind speeds of 151 kph on Sunday morning, according to China’s National Meteorological Centre. It hit Zhanjiang in Guangdong around mid-afternoon Sunday. The weather authority issued a red-level typhoon warning, the highest in its system. Hainan, which is also in the pathway of the storm, cancelled flights and shut down public transport and businesses starting Saturday in preparation for the storm. The province also preemptively evacuated 197,856 people, according to state media, The Paper. Matmo directly hit the southwestern parts of Guangdong, where 151,0